The United States has called upon the government of Uganda to undertake electoral and administrative reforms that will help improve future elections in Uganda. The US embassy in Kampala has issued a statement congratulating the people of Uganda for the elections exercise and President Yoweri Museveni for winning the Presidential elections.
US Ambassador to Uganda H. E Jerry P. Lainer
In their first reaction to the results of the 2011 presidential and parliamentary elections, the US government said the government also needs to undertake reforms that will strengthen the country’s commitment to multiparty democracy and human rights for the next generation of Ugandan citizens.
In a statement issued by Philip Crowley, US assistance secretary of state for Public Affairs, the US government said Democracy requires commitment at all levels of government and society to the rule of law, freedom of speech and assembly, independent media, and active civil society.
The US is also urging all participants to abide by the official election results, refrain from violence, and channel grievances through Uganda’s independent judiciary.
The statement notes that the elections and campaign period were generally peaceful, though the embassy says they noted with concern the diversion of government resources for partisan campaigning and the heavy deployment of security forces on Election Day.
They also express disappointment with what they term as “disorganization at polling stations” and the absence of many registered voters’ names from the voter rolls, irregularities that could have been avoided by appointing an independent and more representative the Uganda Electoral Commission.
Museveni of the National Resistance Movement was on Sunday declared winner with 68.35 of the votes cast, while his closet challenger Dr. Kizza Besigye of the Inter Party Cooperation/ Forum for Democratic Change got 26% of the votes.
The Uganda Presidential elections results as declared by the Uganda Electoral Commission on Sunday evening
Museveni 5,428,369 (68.38), NRM
Kizza Besigye 2,064,963 (26.01), FDC
Nobert Mao 147,917 (1.86), DP
Olara Otunnu 125,059 (1.58), UPC
Beti Kamya 52,782 (0.66), UFA
Abed Bwanika 51,708 (0.65), PDP
Bidandi Saleh 34,688 (0.44), PPP
Samuel Lubega 32,726 (0.41) Independent